A part of my family’s life for many years, Lakeside has a special place in my heart. It has many reputations, some wonderful and others not so great, but overall, it is a grand community to live in and be a part of. With this year’s Western Days Parade, the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce outdid itself once again.
A part of my family’s life for many years, Lakeside has a special place in my heart. It has many reputations, some wonderful and others not so great, but overall, it is a grand community to live in and be a part of. With this year’s Western Days Parade, the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce outdid itself once again.
In speaking with many people on Saturday, we all agreed that the crowd was larger than ever before and standing there looking down Maine Avenue, it was heartwarming to see all of the people that came out to help the community celebrate a tradition now in its 50th year. And I can see why it is such a popular event. Especially when you take in the entire experience.
I started my morning early, going to the Lakeside Historical Society’s annual breakfast. It is a great way to start the day and they feed you a good ole country breakfast that they practically give away. But while eating, it is hard not to notice all the different people sitting in there. Some are part of the parade in one way or another and others are eager watcher’s claiming early good seats for what is to come. I love the chatter across the dining room. It reminds me of a family reunion or in some cases the babble of a chow hall. Either way, as you hear pieces of conversation, you get a glimpse into the diversity of people that make Lakeside what it is today. It is truly a community proud of its history and even more so, they are thankful to be a little part of it.
This year’s theme, There’s no Place Like Home was fitting for its 50th anniversary. With 200 entries this year, I believe the parade is growing as fast as the crowd and with the various participants it provides a wonderful observation of what makes Lakeside such a great community. There are many things that I love about this parade, and for such a small community it has a lot to be proud of with this event. First, because of my life-long fascination with horses, I love that it is one of the largest equestrian parades on the West Coast. But what impresses me the most is how committed the community is in representing itself. This parade is so inclusive of everyone in the community and those communities outside of Lakeside that it is an East County showcase presenting the best of the best. And it is important to realize that many that participate in this parade come from generations of families that have passed down the love of their community to their children.
I could easily go into all of the participants, but watching the youth of the community participate in the parade is a great example of civic pride in the making. Children of all ages participate with their schools, scouts, bands and alongside their parents involved with other organizations.
With this year’s theme, I was impressed with how the floats and costumes recognized “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” with many a Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Dorothy’s in the parade. (And a lot of different looking Toto’s’.)Each one of their interpretations through costume was unique and added a lot to the flavor of the parade. And until this parade I never knew that this year’s Grand Marshal Gita Morena, the great-granddaughter of L. Frank Baum was a member of the Lakeside community. Once again, it was a great choice for celebrating 50 years.
Tradition is important and serves as a powerful teacher in life. Building involvement and pride in your community is a life’s tool that a person can carry with them wherever life takes them. Being from the South, I know that there is no place like home, but in truth, home really is where your heart is. (Please excuse the run of clichés. I cannot help myself.) Although I no longer live in Lakeside and my children have grown and moved away, it will always be home in our hearts as we spent many wonderful year’s in the neighborhood. It is a special place and Lakeside Western Days is a consistent reminder of how fortunate we all are as a family to have stumbled upon the beauty of Lakeside.
